Electric sign



1,695,895 L. GOLDSMITH ELEcTnIc sa'n Fina Fab. 1a, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 Inventor l. Gamz lthrough.

Patented Dec. 18, 1928.y

Unirse .STATES I 171.595,895 PArsrr-rperrier.g

v LOUIS GOLDSMITH, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA;

ELECTRIC SIGN- Application filed February `18, *1928, Serial No. 255,353.

The present .invention relates. to improve# ments in signs and has -tor :its principal object to provide a changeable exhibitor that includes a plurality of lindependently operable double real andwebbed structures for' association with ra vbase plate having dis playing openings, whereby various combinations of letters may be formed and displayed to constituteacomplete sign..

Another important object ofthe inventionis to provide asign o't the above men# tioned `character that includes a means for illuminating the various. letters or characters .arranged on the webs so that the sign can beA easily read at night as well as in the Aday time.

A still lfurtherobject is to provide an elec tric sign fof the .above mentioned character whichl is simple in construction, strong and durable, and Jfurther well vadapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

`Other Lobjects vand advantages of the invention will become apparent during A.the courseof the following detailed description.

In .the accompanying drawings, forming a part off this application and wherein like reference` characters designatev like parts throughout the views.:

. Figure 1 isa `front elevation of the electric sign embodying my invention.

rFigure 2 1s .a vertical sectional view there- Figure 3 is ,a sectional view,v taken approximately onthe line 3 3 :of Figure 2,

'look-ing `in :the directionofthe arrows.

l Figure '4 is a top zplan view of the sign.

Figure 5 is a Vdetail .view of one ,of the -vertical :brackets :showing thespool supporting members carried thereby.

Figure 46 is .a vview taken at right angles with vrespect to Figure l5A and snowing the `relation of the bracket with respect to the frame, and

yFigure 7 isa detail view ot' cnc of the.

spools or reels.` y

In the drawingsj wherein for Athe purpose of illustration is shown'thevpreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l designates a substantially rectangular shaped casing which is openat its front side, the sides as well as the top'and bottom of the casing tapering toward the rear wall 2 as is clearly shown in Figures 2 'and l of the drawings. A substantially rectangular shaped flange-cover 3 has the free edge portion of the ange thereof reduced .edge .portion of the. casing.

arranged vertically within the for disposition within the .open front side of the casing l as illustrated at 4, in Figure 2 and theshoulder 'formed at the juncture `of the reduced portion 4 with the main flange portionabuts the `forward rolled edge .of the 4casi-ng in the manner as also shownmore 'clearly i-n Figure 2.

F or .the .purpose .of .positively vsecuring .the flanged cover 3 on the casing7 I 4provide the pivoted hooks 5 onv the sides of the flanged cover 'and these hooks engage over laterally extending headed pins 6 that project from the opposite sides of the forward The `front face of the flanged cover 3 is formed with a series of substantially rectangular shaped displaying 'openings 7 that are arranged in a predetermined manner,

and ythe purpose of theseopeningswill be presently described. y

Secured within the flanged `cover 3 is the wooden frame 8 ,andthis frame is or' such width as to `extend between lthe apertured tace ofthe cover and. theshoulder termed .by the vreduced portion i of the langeof the cover as ,is .clearly shown in Figure 2. They f kforwardedges-olf the verticalsides of this wooden frame 8 are `formed with the vertically spaced aligned notches and `the pur- Vposed' directly adjacent l,the upper and .lower [edges oftheopenings 7 formed in the front face of' the cover 3. i

A fplurality 1of parallel spaced flat metallic strips designated by the numeral ll yare wooden trame 8, each strip constituting a bracket .and 'being formed at its upper and lower ends with the laterallydisposed .portions 12 that are secured to the upper and {lower membersof the wooden frame 8 -byany Eappropriate fastening means. The vvertical brackets or'strips ll are so spaced with `y respect to each other as to be disposed on opposite sides of the vertically aligned displaying openings 7 Jformed in the front face of the cover 3. Furthermore, the forward edges of these vertical strips or brackets are spaced from the front face of the cover so as to permit the horizontal rod 10 to eX- tend across the forward edges of the strips as shown Vin Figure 2. Each of the strips los or brackets is cut out at the rear edge portion thereof at vertically spaced intervals, as i lustrated at 13, for a purpose to be presently described.

i Secured on opposite sides of each ofthe vertical brackets 11 are the spring steel strips 15, the intermediate portions of these spring steel strips being secured to the vertical brackets so that' the ends of the strip 16 extend into the cut outportions 13 and furthermore the ends of the spring steel strips flexed outwardly slightly Vand formed on the outer free ends of each spring steel strip is the circular bolted head 16, the saine being formed with a pintle receiving opening. The manner in which `these spring steel strips 15 are associated with the vertical brackets 11 is clearly shown in Figures '2, 5, and 6 of the drawings.

A series of relatively small spools or reels such as shown at 17 are formed with the pintles 18 that are rotatably mounted in t ie openings provided therefor in the upper and lower ends of each pair of Opposed spring steel strips 15, so that upper and lower pairs of reels or spools are provided.

A, web formed of paper, or any other suitable material and havingthe various letters of the alphabet printed on therouter face kthereof is secured at one end on the uppermost spool or reel of each pair and this web 19 extendsl over the rods 10 forl disposition against the inner face of the apertured side of the cover 3 and the other end of the web is secured on the lower spool orrroller of each pair. The web is unrolled from the upper roller or spool and is Vwound around the lower spool or reel of each pair by manually actuating the spools when the cover 3 is removed from the casing 1 and the cover is laid fiat on a suriace or may be f disposed vertically and access to the rollers or spools being had from the rear side of the said frame and the cut-out portions 1B provide sufficient space whereby the spools may be properly grasped for turning the same.

rlhis construction provides a means whereby various letters may be displayed through the openings 71o form various combinations oi" wordsfor display purposes, and `by providing a large number of openings 7 in the front face ofthe cover zi and complementa ry double wheel and web structures in the rear of each opening, the sign may be employed for displaying a considerable amount of advertising. c

in electric lamp 2O is arranged within the casing 1 in a suitable socket provided therefor and is secured to the rear wall 2 of the casing, and any appropriate ineans may be provided i'orfcausing the intermittent flashing of the light. The lamp will pro-pcrly illuminate a sign so that the saine can be viewed at night and by simply disengaging the hook 5 from the headed pins 6, the cover 3 may be removed from the casing to permit the changing of Vthe combination of words as may be desired. o .y l

.An electric sign. of the aboveynientioned character may be manufactured at a very low cost, owing to its simplicity andthe sign can be changed from time to time without necessitating loss of any vconsiderable amount of time'or labor. y

vWhile l have shown .the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beiinderstood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

`What l claim is: ln a sign, a frame,r a face plate at the front ofthe frame provided with displaying openings, a plurality of parallel spaced brackets arranged vertically in theframe on opposite sides of the aligned displaying openings, springstrips secured on oppositesides of the bracket and arranged in pairs, the free ends ofthe spring strips being flexed, upper and lower rotatableireels sup-V ported between each pair of'spring strips above and below the displaying openings, an indicia carrying web operatively connected at the ends to the upper and lower reels of each. pair, said web' adapted to extend over the respective 'displaying openings, 'means for maintaining a portion of the web against the rear side of the facie plate, said last inentioned means comprising a. series of horie zent-ally arranged rods extemling across Vthe vertical brackets directly above theV 1upper and lower edges of the displaying openings and engaging with the inner side `vof the webs. l

ln testimony wlfiereof l aiix my signature.

Louis eotnsinrri. 

